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Healthy Food in Paris: Top Tables

Revered as one of the culinary world’s most indulgent destinations, Paris is beloved for its croissants, macarons, steak frites and foie gras. And while many wouldn’t dream of going to the French capital without sampling some of the country’s rightly esteemed specialties, maintaining a healthy balance is important for many travelers. To help you find your balance, we’ve rounded up some of the best restaurants for healthy food in Paris, including upscale restaurants that cater to different diets (vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan and more), as well as health-focused cafés that we recommend for breakfast or lunch. Pro tip: Eating one or two uber-healthy meals a day will make a rich, traditional French supper all that much more enjoyable.

Contact Indagare for assistance planning a trip to Paris. Our specialists can book you at the hotel that is right for you and plan great meals and activities.

The Best Healthy Cafés for Lunch or Breakfast

While dining out on vacation is half the fun, it’s important to strike a balance between staying healthy and enjoying yourself. Indagare’s Kelley Brennan, a licensed nutritionist, recommends choosing one meal each day to be your “splurge” and ordering lighter fare for the other two (read more: Healthy Travel Tips).

A salad at Wild & The Moon

Wild & The MoonA hot spot adored by model-esque Parisians, Wild & The Moon offers all-day vegan and gluten-free cuisine. The eatery serves healthy morning fare like sprouted buckwheat granola and açai bowls and savory lunch food such as a nori quinoa bowl with guacamole and cashews and soba noodles with sesame and avocado. There is a selection of fresh juices, as well as desserts like raw chocolate truffles, banana cake and “nice cream,” a frozen treat made primarily from fruit.Neighborhood: Several locations throughout the city including one in the 1st arrondissement (19 Place du Marché Saint-Honoré) and another in the Marais (55 Rue Charlot).Details:wildandthemoon.comHours: Open daily from 8am-10:30pm (9am on weekends).

Café PinsonSet in the heart of the Marais, Café Pinson is a healthy dining hot spot and known for its cozy, serene atmosphere and organic vegetarian cuisine (many dishes are also vegan). Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner—health fanatics should visit for the popular Sunday brunch—the restaurant offers a three-course menu with a choice of a soup, salad or quiche to start, a hot dish like risotto or a quinoa bowl for the entrée and a dessert (the gluten- and dairy-free Madeleines are particularly delicious!)Neighborhood: MaraisDetails: 6 Rue du Forez; cafepinson.frHours: Mon.-Sat. from 9am-10pm, and Sun. from noon-6pm

Maisie CaféLocated a few blocks from the Tuileries Gardens, this central café is a great spot for a light lunch or breakfast while shopping along Rue Saint Honoré or wandering around the beautiful 1st arrondissement. The menu here includes dishes like avocado toast, a matcha bowl and chia pudding, as well as salads, soups and focaccia sandwiches. For a snack, scoop up one of the dips (flavors include avocado, hummus, artichoke and more), a smoothie or a dessert, like the raw chocolate mousse or seasonal fruit tart. When the weather is nice, we recommend taking your food to go and enjoying it in the Jardin des Tuileries, but the charming dining room, with a handful of tables and muraled walls, is lovely too.Neighborhood: 1st ArrondissementDetails: 32 Rue du Mont Thabor; maisiecafe.comHours: Mon.-Sat. from 9am-5pm.

Judy, The Good LifeMarked by a striped yellow-and-white awning, this Left Bank café features a sunny décor and organic vegetarian menu, with offerings like quinoa porridge with almond milk, granola and apple compote in the morning and Buddha bowls and beet spaghetti with sun-dried tomatoes at lunchtime. The airy café, located a few blocks from both the Luxembourg Gardens and Le Bon Marché, is decorated with chrome light fixtures, rattan armchairs and shelves with plants lining the walls.Neighborhood: Left Bank/St.-Germain-des-PresAddress: 18 Rue de Fleurus; judy-paris.comHours: Mon.-Fri. from 8am-6:30pm, Sat. and Sun. from 9am-7pm

Le Café Le Cordon Bleu ParisThe renowned Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, which boasts a magnificent 8,000-plus-square-foot rooftop vegetable garden, has a café that serves vegetable stews, hearty salads and rich ratatouilles. A beautiful eco-friendly building located on the banks of the Seine, the facility is also home to classrooms and demonstration rooms, a wine cellar, culinary library and boutique. Curious chefs can also sign up for vegetarian cooking classes (among others).Neighborhood: 15th ArrondissementAddress: Le Cordon Bleu Paris, 13-15 Quai André Citroën; cordonbleu.eduHours: Mon.-Fri. from 7:30am-7pm, Sat. from 7:30am-5pm

A vegan scone at the Shangri-La Paris

Vegan Afternoon Tea at the Shangri-La HotelDairy- and meat-free travelers can indulge in a quintessential Parisian activity thanks to the Shangri-La’s 100% vegan afternoon tea, which offers 10 sweet treats and savory sandwiches every day of the week. Tea is served at the hotel’s La Bauhina restaurant, which features a beautiful cupola from the 1930s.Neighborhood: Edge of 16th & 8th ArrondissementsAddress: 10 Avenue d’Iéna; shangri-la.comHours: Mon.-Fri from 3:30-5:30pm, Sat. and Sun. from 4-5:30pm

Fine-Dining Restaurants with Healthy Options

Many of Paris’s finest restaurants offer vegetable-focused fare or light options that will appeal to conscious diners, in addition to indulgent cuisine that will please the rest of the party. Here are some of our favorite spots for healthy dining in Paris where you don’t have to sacrifice style and a fun scene for the sake of nutritious cuisine.

The terrace at Loulou

LoulouSet in the beautiful Musée des Arts Décoratifs and created by the team behind Palais de Tokyo’s Monsieur Bleu, Loulou offers a mix of French- and Italian Riviera–inspired food, as well as a beautiful terrace. While the menu changes with the seasons, past dishes include a green bean, pistachio and pecorino salad and roasted cod with morels. Read more.Neighborhood: 1st Arrondissement

ShirvanNamed for an ancient province in Azerbaijan, Shirvan is a modern twist on a brasserie. Michelin-starred chef Akrame Benallal took inspiration from the Silk Road and its blending of cultures and spices to create a menu that is ideal for sharing, with highlight dishes including eggplant tempura with Moroccan spices and tandoori chicken. Read more.Neighborhood: 8th Arrondissement

Le CamondoHoused in the Nissim de Camondo museum in the 8th arrondissement, this restaurant boasts a changing menu that emphasizes both hearty and light dishes like tuna tartare and turbot with fennel and green mango. Read more.Neighborhood: 8th Arrondissement

L’ArpègeL’Arpège’s minimalist-modern dining room serves as the perfect backdrop for chef Alain Passard’s vegetable-focused menu that touts interesting courses like tomato carpaccio with mozzarella, strawberries and lavender oil. The chef is passionate about fresh veggies (many of them are grown on his organic farm outside Paris), though shellfish and poultry also make appearances. Read more.Neighborhood: 7th Arrondissement

Gaya Rive GaucheThis edgy seafood restaurant, on a fashionable street on the Left Bank, is the creation of top chef Pierre Gagnaire. Patrons here dine on artful dishes—think delicate white fish served with a carrot-cumin mousse—in an elegant dining room. Read more.Neighborhood: 7th Arrondissement

L’AvenueAn eternal hot spot, with good food and better people watching from its lauded patio, L’Avenue caters to a chic crowd who enjoy the well-executed cuisine. Dishes include salads, homemade soups, quiches and tartines for lunch and light renditions of French classics for dinner. Read more.Neighborhood: 8th Arrondissement